Steering apparatus for a swamp boat



March 4, 1969 s. M. PARISH 3,430,503

STEERING APPARATUS FOR A SWAMP BOAT Filed Feb. 6, 1967 Jam/rue Par/JV?LVVENTOR ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,430,603 STEERING APPARATUS FORA SWAMP BOAT Sammie M. Parish, Box 1576, Orange, Tex. 77630 Filed Feb.6, 1967, Ser. No. 614,328 US. Cl. 11535 6 Claims Int. Cl. B63h 25/42ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE In boats adapted to operate in swamps andmarshes, the preferred steering apparatus comprising a tiller connectedto the propeller and drive shaft by a bushing for arcuately moving on aguide the propeller and shaft while imparting power to the propellerthrough a universal joint in the shaft and further including meanspermitting the propeller and drive shaft to swing upwardly to ride overobstacles in the swamp.

Related applications Applicant has no presently pending relatedapplications.

Summary 0 problem and invention Mud boats are normally used in swampsand other cluttered bodies of water by surveyors, field maintenace crewsof the petroleum industry, fishermen, sportsmen, and others. Operationof a waterborne vehicle in swampy areas such as those found near theLouisiana Gulf Coast have graphically illuminated the deficiencies ofswamp boats of the prior art. A swamp is defined for purposes of thepresent invention as an area which is basically Water covered and whichincludes substantial plant growth, occasional gels of sand and otherparticulated matter, solid debris such as logs, sand bars, or the like.In times past, air buggies built on a fiat bottom boat have beenpropelled through swampy areas by means of a rather large air movingdevice which actually blows the boat along. Certain problems areinherent in such apparatus, not the least of which is noise and dangerassociated with a device which is essentially an aircraft engine andpropeller on a small boat. Likewise, large tires have been placed onamphibious or semiamphibious vehicles, and this, too, has been foundgenerally limited in success. Since those skilled in the art willappreciate the problems of movement in and about a swamp and moreparticularly the irregularities of water, soil and debris to beencountered in a swamp, which include matted grassy areas, occasionalsolid objects, sand bars and extensive plant life therein, the presentinvention is summarized as providing steering apparatus for a swamp boathaving an inboard engine driving a mud screw or prop on a drive shaftincorporating a universal joint, a tiller arm for rotating the mud screwin an arc of approximately 180, means associated with the mud screwpermitting the mud screw and associated drive shaft to kick upwardly onriding over the solid object, and means located above the mud screwtending to force the mud screw into the swampy morass to continuedelivery of motive power to the mud boat. It is, therefore, an object ofthe present invention to provide a new and improved steering device fora mud boat which does not include a rudder subject to fouling by thedebris in the swamp, with steering accomplished by the prop.

An important object of the present invention is to provide a new andimproved steering device for a mud boat which moves the mud screw to theleft or right to steer the vessel and yet which permits the mud screw toride upwardly out of the swamp and over an obstacle.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new andimproved steering device for a swamp ve- "Ice hicle in which means areprovided which tend to maintain the mud screw below the surface of theswamp.

One object of the present invention is to provide a new and improvedsteering device for a swamp vehicle including a pivot for the tillervertically aligned with pivotal means in the drive column with the mudprop being rotated on an arcuate path to change direction of movement ofthe boat.

Yet another object of the present invention is to. provide a new andimproved steering device for a swamp boat for riding the mud prop overan obstacle including means for diverting the prop upwardly and for alsopivoting the steering apparatus therewith, said steering apparatuspivoting at any angle of turn of the boat.

An important object of the present invention is to provide a new andimproved boat steering apparatus for a swamp boat having a universaljoint in the drive shaft which is vertically aligned with a semicircularsteering guide with the mud prop carried by the steering guide to anydesired angle on movement of the tiller.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become morereadily apparent from a consideration of the included specification anddrawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side view of the steering apparatus of the present inventionattached to the rear of a flat bottom boat;

FIG. 2 is an end view of the present apparatus with the mud propelleromitted for purposes of clarity; and,

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the apparatus of the present invention whichillustrates additional details of the invention and the boat.

In the drawings, attention is first directed to FIG. 1 of the presentinvention which illustrates the rearward portions of a boat 10. The boat10 is a conventional flat bottom boat of any desired length andpreferably includes an inboard power plant connected to a drive shaftindicated in dotted line at 11 which extends through the transom 10a toconnect with a universal joint 12. The universal joint connects to anadditioal drive shaft 13. The drive shaft 13 extends though a slipbushing 14 carried by the present invention immediately forward of themud screw 15 on the shaft 13. The mud screw 15 is a conventional deviceavailable in known commercial channels and is locked on the shaft 13 bya lock nut 16 or other appropriate means. Motive power is applied to theshaft 11 by the motor (not shown) and is communicated to the universaljoint 12 and the shaft 13 to rotate the mud prop 15 and propel the swampvehicle 10 forwardly in the desired manner. The universal joint 12permits deflection of the prop 15 to the right or left, and upwardly anddownwardly in steering the boat 10.

The steering apparatus 20 incorporates a tiller or steering arm 22 whichextends forwardly and above the transom 10a of the boat and includes aforwardly extending handle 24 which is adapted to be held in the hand ofthe operator of the boat 10. The steering arm or tiller is bentdownwardly at 25 at an angle of approximately 30 to 45 as shown in FIG.1 and connects to a sleeve 26 which is best illustrated in FIG. 3.Referring briefly to FIG. 3, it will be noted that the sleeve 26 isarcuate in shape for following movement on a steering guide member 28 ofsemicircular construction for rotation of the mud prop 15 in a manner tosteer the boat 10. Rotation of the steering apparatus should not beconfused with the rotational movement of the mud prop 15 as driven 'bythe shaft 13 for propelling the boat.

Considering FIG. 3 further, it will be noted that the steering guide 28accommodates approximately of arc and is terminated at 28a and 28b byconnection to fittings joined to the transom 10a of the boat. Moreparticularly, U-shaped brackets 30 and 31 are mounted on the transom aand are pin-connected to the steering guide 28 by means of the pins 32and 33. The pins 32 and 33 pass through appropriate holes or openings inthe parallel arms of the mounting brackets 30 and 31 and fit loosely inholes in the steering guide 28 to permit rotation of the steering guide28 about the pins which define an axis of movement as shown in FIG. 1,and as will be described in greater detail hereinafter. In furtherparticular, the pins 32 and 33 are held on the brackets 30 and 31 bymeans of cotter pins.

Returning again to FIG. 1, it will be noted that an upright member issecured to the lower edge of the tiller 22. More particularly, a bracket36 is joined to the lower side of the tiller at the angularly inclinedportion of the tiller 22 and is connected to a horizontal cross bar 37best shown in FIG. 2. The connection of the tiller to the cross bar 37is by means of a pivotal axis comprising a vertically positioned boltand lock nut indicated at 39. The bolt extends through the bracket 36for rotation in an appropriate opening and carries a head below thecross member 37 for securing the bolt 39 in position. It will beappreciated that the cross member 37 is conventional U-shape channelingwhich is inverted in the preferred embodiment as best illustrated inFIG. 2. The pivotal connection permits the tiller to rotate to an anglethat is noncoincident with the center line of the boat 10 as will beappreciated in viewing FIG. 3. While the tiller is free to a position atan angle with respect to the center line, the cross bar member 37remains fixed since it is connected at opposite ends 37a and 37b to thesteering guide 28. The upright extensions 37a and 37b which areperpendicular to the main portion of the cross bar 37 are joined to thesteering guide by welding or other suitable means in the manner shown inFIG. 3. The upright member 37a and 37]) are preferably centered forrotation about the pins 32 and 33 connected to the steering guide 28.

In viewing the drawings, it will be noted that the tiller means 22 movesin a plane preferably coincident with the center line of the boat 10steers the boat straight when not turned to the right or left.'Thebushing 26 previously described as being at the lower end of the tiller22 is joined to a vertically extending reinforcing gusset 44 in FIG. 1.The gusset is butt welded to an anticavitation plate 45 which isapproximately coincident with the upper extent of the bushing 26 asillustrated in FIG. 2. The plate 44 includes an opening verticallyaligned with the axis of rotation of the bushing 26 about the steeringguide 28. The vertically aligned hole receives a pin 47 securing aclevis 48 carried on the slip bushing 14 for movement of the mud propupwardly as will be described.

The cavitation plate 45 carried above the prop reduces air-waterturbulence at the face of the blades to increase the push of the bladesagainst the water and thereby increase the speed of the boat 10. Theplate 45 remains above the prop 15 at all times during movement of thesteering means to the left or right. The prop 15 is maintained in thewater 18 by the weight of the apparatus for steering the boat whichtendency is overcome only on encountering a solid obstacle which causesthe prop 15 to ride over the obstacle.

While the foregoing has described various elements comprising thesteering apparatus of the present invention, certain points should benoted concerning the alignment thereof. In the first instance, it iscustomary to presume that the drive shaft 11 from the inboard motor islocated on the center line of the boat 10 as indicated in FIG. 3.Moreover, the central alignment is duplicated by location of the tiller22 above the drive shaft 13 and also coincident with the center line ofthe boat as illustrated in FIG. 3. As viewed in FIG. 3, a center ofrotation for the mud screw 15 is coincident with the upright bolt 39carried below the tiller 22 as was previously noted whereby the tillerarm also rotates about the same point. Also, the center of rotationdefined by the bolt 39 is vertically coincident with the center of thearcuate steering guide 28 which enables the tiller 22, the drive shaft13 and connective apparatus between the two, including the bushing 26,the flange 44 and the clevis 48 to rotate in unison about a verticalaxis determined by the bolt 39. That is to say, the view of FIG. 1illustrates vertical alignment of the universal joint 12 in the powerdrive column and the axis of rotation 39 provided for the tiller and thesteering apparatus 20.

Operation of the device of the present invention will be presentlydetailed. The present invention installed on the boat 10 is adapted tobe used in swamps and marshy areas wherein solid debris such as hiddenlogs might be obstacles to conventional boats. Consider the boat 10during forward motion at a rate of speed of perhaps ten or twelve knotsper hour. Since the fiat bottom draws little water and is able to passover solid obstacles such as a fallen tree, the steering apparatus 20 ofthe present invention also enables the mud prop 15 to ride over thesolid obstacle and yet retains it in the marsh to provide forwardmovement to the boat 10. As the boat passes over the obstacle, theobstacle is brought to bear against the drive shaft 13 and the mud screw15 which are below the surface of the water 18. At this juncture, itwill be noted that the mud screw 15 is specially constructed to have aminimum angle of attack which permits the screw to slide off an obstaclewithout cutting into the obstacle. Of great significance to the presentinvention is the fact that the steering means 20 rotates a portion ofthe drive column means about the universal joint 12 to lift the driveshaft 13 and the mud screw 15 from the muddy water 18 to a pointsufficient to clear the obstacle. In like manner, the apparatus of thepresent invention rotates the steering guide 28 about the pivot pointsdetermined by the bolts 32 and 33 as will be appreciated in viewingFIG. 1. The steering guide 28 rotates upwardly at the urging of the slipbushing 14 when the drive shaft is bumped or otherwise pushed upwardly.The upward movement of the slip bushing 14 also imparts rotation to thetiller arm 22 about an axis extending through the pins 32 and 33. Thesteering means 20 of the present invention is lifted with the powerdrive means to protect both means from damage by running over asubmerged obstacle. As will be understood, the steering apparatus 20 isalso protected from damage since it yields to the extent necessary byrising out of the water sufficiently to pass over the obstacle.

Two movements of the steering means have been described above. Onemovement involves steering the boat 10 by directing the propeller anddrive shaft to the left or right of the center line as viewed in FIG. 3.The other movement involves upward rotation of the steering means 20 toride over an obstacle. Compound movements are possible when an obstacleis encountered during a turn. In other words, if the boat 10 isnegotiating a turn in response to the steering apparatus 20 of thepresent invention, the device is still able to lift the mud screw 15from the liquid 18 to the extent necessary to ride over and disengagethe obstacles in the liquid. Again, considering compound movements, nointerference with rotation about the vertical axis 39 during a turn ofthe boat 10 is noted when the steering means 20 is rotated about thepivot pins 32 and 33 to ride over an obstacle.

As will be appreciated, the foregoing has been directed to the preferredembodiment of the present invention and to this extent, has been limitedto the embodiment disclosed in the drawings. However, the presentinvention can be varied in many details, and can be sized to cooperatewith a boat of selected length and width.

What is claimed is:

1. Steering apparatus for use on a boat having a power plant for urgingthe boat through swampy waters, comprising:

(a) a propeller connected to the power plant by drive shaft means forurging the boat forwardly in response to operation of the power plant;

(b) means connecting said propeller to said drive shaft means forpositioning said propeller angularly with respect to its forwarddirection of movement;

(c) steering means carried on the boat, and including (1) steering guidemeans for describing the path of movement of said propeller;

(2) follower means limited in movement by said steering guide means;and,

(3) means connecting said follower means to said propeller and saiddrive shaft means for positioning said propeller for urging the boat ina direction determined by said follower means;

(d) said steering means further including (1) an arcuate member having acenter coinciding vertically with said connecting means;

(2) a slip bushing on said drive shaft means for moving said drive shaftmeans while it rotates; and,

(3) pivotal connective means betwen said bushing and said followermeans;

(e) and wherein said follower means is a sleeve placed on said arcuatemember and slidable therealong in response to movements by a tillermeans for steering the boat.

2. The invention of claim 1 including anticavitation means carried bysaid connecting means and above said propeller.

3. The invention of claim 1 wherein said propeller is a mud screw.

4. Apparatus for use on a boat having a power plant for urging the boatthrough swampy waters and over obstacles such as logs, sand bars and thelike, comprising:

(a) a propeller connected to the power plant by drive shaft means forurging the boat forwardly in response to operation of the power plant;

(b) means connecting said propeller to said drive shaft means forelevating and lowering said propeller relative to the surface of theswamp;

(0) means for steering the boat by positioning said propeller angularlywith respect to the boat, said means being positioned above saidpropeller and connected for movement upwardly or downwardly;

(d) arcuate steering guide means located above said propeller means;

(e) pivotal connective means securing said steering means to the boat;

(f) said pivotal connective means securing said arcuate steering guidemeans to the boat;

(g) said pivotal connective means moving said steering means upwardlyand downwardly in conjunction with movement upwardly and downwardly ofsaid propeller and said drive shaft means to maintain steering controlover the boat when the boat rides over an obstacle;

(h) tiller means slidable and rotatively connected to said arcuatesteering guide means;

(i) vertically aligned pivot means for rotation of said tiller meanscoincident with rotation of said connecting means;

(j) support means connected to said vertically aligned pivot means andhaving an axis of rotation for rotating said support means on rotationupwardly or downwardly of said arcuate steering guide means; and,

(k) said tiller means rotating in response to movement upwardly ordownwardly of said propeller in riding over an obstacle.

5. The invention of claim 4 wherein said connecting means comprises auniversal joint.

6. The invention of claim 4 including anticavitation means carried onsteering means for movement right or left to maintain placement abovesaid propeller.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 172,367 1/1876 Allyn 1l5-351,028,333 6/1912 Desenberg et a1. -35 2,415,183 2/1947 Law 11535 TRYGVEM. BLIX, Primary Examiner.

